Guide
Apps for planning a trip with friends in 2026, compared
Most groups need two things: one place everyone plans in, and a way to settle who owes whom. Wanderlog, Stippl and Lambus give the whole group one shared itinerary on a free plan and split costs too; TripIt keeps confirmed bookings in one place, and Polarsteps shares the route with people at home. For the money on its own, Tricount is free and Splitwise has a free plan with a daily cap. Awayfolk, which publishes this guide, is one of the planners below, with its limits listed like everyone else’s.
Wanderlog: plan the days together
Wanderlog puts the day-by-day plan, saved places, bookings, a budget and a map in one trip that syncs live between the web and the iPhone and Android apps. The owner invites the others by email or link, as editors or viewers, and editors need a Wanderlog account. Live collaboration, forwarded booking emails and splitting costs are free, and its help centre says it never shows ads. It suits a group that wants to build the plan together in detail. The limit: offline access is a Pro feature according to Wanderlog’s help centre, and Pro, from USD 39.99 a year on Wanderlog’s website as of September 2026, is bought per account, with no group plan.
Stippl: the route, the days and the budget
Stippl, on iPhone, Android and the web, is built around a route with several stops and a day-by-day plan, and adds a shared budget that converts currencies and settles up, shared packing lists and a travel journal. The free plan has no cap on co-planners, who join by link or email with a Stippl account. Pro, from EUR 4.99 a month on Stippl’s website as of September 2026, adds unlimited AI trip plans and forwarding of booking emails to the trip. It suits a group that wants the route, the days and the money in one free app. The limit: there is no view-only role, so everyone invited can change or delete anything.
Lambus: the whole trip, group chat included
Lambus gathers stops on a map, bookings, documents, a group chat and shared expenses in one trip, on iPhone, Android and the web. Friends join with a link or a PIN, costs are split and netted so fewer payments are needed, and a free connector lets ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini add stops and expenses. One person’s PRO covers the whole trip: USD 8.99 per trip or USD 24.49 a year on the US App Store, as of September 2026. It suits a mixed iPhone and Android group. The limit: Tourlane bought Lambus in July 2026, and the German trade paper fvw reported that the future of the Lambus apps has not been decided, although they are still being updated.
Troupe: when everyone has an iPhone
Troupe, from the developer Yuzool, keeps the day-by-day plan, shared costs, a packing list and photos of bookings in one trip, shared through iCloud. The organiser sends a link in Messages or WhatsApp, the others join through iCloud without a Troupe account, and a “who pays whom” view works out the fewest transfers. The free plan covers one active trip for up to four people; beyond that the organiser buys Pro, USD 3.99 a month or USD 29.99 once as of September 2026. It suits a group where everyone has an iPhone or iPad. The limit: there is no Android or web version, and the app first came out in July 2026.
Awayfolk: ideas, days and the day itself
An Awayfolk trip has room for up to six people and holds an idea bank, where a pasted link becomes a card and a place gets its pin on the map, a day plan, shared and private packing lists, bookings, what things cost, a Today view for the trip itself and the memories afterwards. Everyone joins from one invitation link with a Google account, and Claude, or ChatGPT on a paid plan, can save ideas, day plans and bookings into the trip. It is free while the pilot runs, and suits a small group planning before and during the trip. The limits: it is new and still a pilot, it is a web app rather than a store app, a trip holds six people at most, and it notes what things cost but does not work out who owes whom.
TripIt: every booking in one itinerary
TripIt builds one itinerary per trip from the booking emails you forward to it: flights, hotels, rental cars. The owner shares the trip by email and gives each person view or edit access; only editors see confirmation numbers and attached documents. Sharing is free. Pro, USD 49 a year on TripIt’s website with a 30-day trial as of September 2026, adds real-time flight alerts for the subscriber’s own plans. It suits a group once the bookings are made, and anyone who flies often. The limit: it is built for confirmed plans, with no shared idea list, day planning on a map or cost splitting.
Polarsteps: the route, for the people at home
Polarsteps tracks the route by GPS while you travel, lets friends and family at home follow along as you post photos and notes, and offers a printed book you can order afterwards. The owner can invite up to five travel buddies on the free plan, and everyone adds their own photos to the same trip. Polarsteps Plus, EUR 8.99 a month or EUR 29.99 a year as of September 2026, adds 3D maps and room for ten buddies. It suits a road trip or a long route you want to share. The limit: edits from the others do not appear live, and there is no budget or cost splitting.
Splitwise: who owes whom, in detail
Splitwise keeps a running balance between friends and works out who owes whom, on iPhone, Android and the web. Everyone needs an account, and a cost can be split equally, by percentage, by shares or item by item. The free plan shows ads and caps how many expenses each person can add a day. Pro removes both and converts currencies, and its annual plans include one 30-day pass a year for a whole trip group; Splitwise does not publish its prices on its website. It suits groups where some already use it for everyday costs. The limit: the free daily cap can run out in the middle of a trip.
Tricount: free splitting, no daily cap
Tricount records what each person has paid in a shared tricount and suggests the fewest repayments to settle up. Friends join from a link and pick which participant they are, up to 50 people, and costs in other currencies are converted at a daily rate. Expenses can be added offline and sync later. It is free, with no subscription and no cap on expenses as of September 2026, and it is available in Norwegian. It suits a group that wants to split costs without paying for it. The limit: there is no official web app, so everyone who adds expenses needs the iPhone or Android app.
How to choose
Most groups need one app everyone plans in and one way to settle up. Wanderlog, Stippl and Lambus split costs themselves, and so does Troupe if everyone has an iPhone or iPad, so one of them can be enough. Awayfolk, TripIt and Polarsteps do not, so pair them with Tricount or Splitwise; TripIt’s own group-travel advice suggests Splitwise. Keep it to two apps at most, and agree on them before the first link lands in the group chat.
Awayfolk is free while the pilot runs. Start a trip · See an example trip · How the AI connection works
Updated September 2026